Heels Designed for Asian Feet

Designer Rupert Sanderson, like many brands, is making moves to cater to the blossoming luxury market in Asia. But the label isn’t just upping ad spend in the region or hiring Asian models, they’re taking it a “step” further. The pretty pump you see above is the Winona. The shoe features support for high arches and is molded for narrower feet.

The design is based on what brand manager Bertrand Mak says is the average Asian foot. “We basically developed a new [mold] that is tailor-made for the Asian foot,” Mak told the Wall Street Journal. “We’re trying to make a four-inch [10-centimeter] heel more comfortable.”

Not everyone is in agreement, however, about what the average Asian foot is like. In direct contrast to Mak’s statements, Hong Kong podiatrist Alexandra Duff says, “Asian feet tend to be slightly broader in the forefoot and they have a lower arch profile.” Duff, who’s been in the business for 15 years even says that, at 80%, Asians have the highest rate of flat feet of any ethnic group.

It remains to be seem how well Asian women will respond to the shoes. If they’re like many women around the world they’ll wear the shoe because it’s because it’s beautiful – whether it fits perfectly or not.